498 replies to this topic

[Norris J Packard]

Artgathan, on 04 March 2013 - 03:44 AM, said:

There's a few problems with the argument that Packard makes though. Firstly is that we don't know what's actually happening in PGI's building. They could very well be developing two mechs a month - one Inner Sphere (which they release) and one Clan (which they're holding onto). Just because a dev stated that they have not hammered out the way they're going to work Omnimechs does not mean that the mech models are not prepared. It just means that they have to go back and add hardpoints.

We're also supposed to see a new map (Desert) this month (on the 19th). They're creating new content. But development takes time. I doubt (very much) that PGI would allow the game to go 4 months without the introduction of new content because they know it would severely hurt the game (and therefore their own wallets).

Here you go:

Bryan Ekman, on 31 January 2013 - 09:51 AM, said:

It takes

2 Modellers
2 Animators
1 Concept Artist
1 Texture Artist

6 people x 1 Month to make each BattleMech.

http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__1822334

And of course:

Bryan Ekman, on 31 January 2013 - 09:58 AM, said:

• We started developing MWO in the summer of 2011, with full production beginning in October 2011.
  
• We went Open Beta 1 year after full production started.
  
• We have a team of 43 people working on it daily, not including IGP staff.
  
• CryEngine is a renderer and a level editor, we had to write all of the backend architecture, customer support tools, website, money management, analytics, etc. etc.
  
• The average feature takes betwen 1-4 months to complete before test.
  
• Levels take a 7 person team 3-4 months to make before test.

http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__1822369

[Jomacdo]

Artgathan, on 04 March 2013 - 03:44 AM, said:

In that very quote I mentioned that they could be secretly working on the clan mechs right now, it's just not likley.

There wont be four months of no content but no mechs means there will be four months of not enough content.

Norris' theory isn't guaranteed to happen but it's likely enough now to be a serious concern.

[Inertiaman]

Norris J Packard, on 04 March 2013 - 03:57 AM, said:

http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__1822369

The idea that six people have been working on Alpine for half a year and that they play tested it beyond "does it load" is entirely laughable.

[Lyrik]

Someone is mad because he can only grind one mech a month? Oh my, the game must be dying

In Ask the devs 31 or 32 PGI mentionend that they finally finished a lot of textures, buildings etc for her maptool. So that they are able to crank out more maps in a faster rate.
First they had to finish the tools before they build maps. Sounds logical to me.

And why are the people so angry about the clans? The Inner Sphere needed months before noticing that there were even an invasion. And then they needed months before their units were in a position to slow the invasion. And then another year before they were able to defend against the clans...

[Inertiaman]

Good work on entirely missing just about every point there and doubling down by patronising people for complaints they haven't actually made.

[Cromwill]

Great Post. Great Mechs but content is too slow. I think most of us have been fairly patient but they delay for content is even exceeding PGI's own schedule by a huge margin.

[Norris J Packard]

Lyrik, on 04 March 2013 - 04:01 AM, said:

Someone is mad because he can only grind one mech a month? Oh my, the game must be dying

In Ask the devs 31 or 32 PGI mentionend that they finally finished a lot of textures, buildings etc for her maptool. So that they are able to crank out more maps in a faster rate.
First they had to finish the tools before they build maps. Sounds logical to me.

And why are the people so angry about the clans? The Inner Sphere needed months before noticing that there were even an invasion. And then they needed months before their units were in a position to slow the invasion. And then another year before they were able to defend against the clans...

And you missed my point entirely.

It's almost as if you didn't read the post.

[Chemie]

You missed the "one map per month". and I would rather have 1 map per month than 2 mechs. I do not believe we need more mechs but rather maps and game modes.

[Norris J Packard]

Chemie, on 04 March 2013 - 04:10 AM, said:

You missed the "one map per month". and I would rather have 1 map per month than 2 mechs. I do not believe we need more mechs but rather maps and game modes.

Alt. Maps don't count as new maps in my eyes and many others.

[Inertiaman]

Or if we are to have only two game modes, at least have ones that make sense. Conquest remains a total bodge.

[LtPoncho]

Ralgas, on 04 March 2013 - 03:30 AM, said:

i think you underestimate the tenacity of mmo faithful, even if your "claims" prove true. 4 months of no new or simply fluff content is nothing new to several games that remain popular now.

As for the timeline, it is what it is. In your op you even point out reasoning why we should give them time and patience (the long turnaround on hiring)

Buddy we can be as tenacious as we want to be - don't confuse personal passion with the gravity of a situation. Some of us were there when EA pulled the plug on MPBT 3025 to which had quite the MMO following - Honey Badger didn't care. Economics rule. The community survived. History could repeat itself as it often does.

The difference with other popular games that release content is that they actually have a community warefare engine in place to which drives the PURPOSE of wanting to participate. MWO is just 8 v 8 - thats it. Lots of variables, but it's just that. Win a round, get some Cbills and XP - AND THATS IT. Nothing else happens. Getting more variables to keep doing the same thing over and over and over isn't going to promote extended interest into the game.

We play 3D games - so why does it feel like there are dimensions missing in MWO?

[LtPoncho]

I worry what the approaching Vancouver summer months will do to the release schedule...

[HC Harlequin]

I don't think clan mechs will change anything. Without context behind the lighter faster chassis, better weapons and smaller loadouts it won't mean anything.

If clan tech is integrated into the current system everyone will just grind out clan mechs and in a very short time all these mechs will be pointless.

If they only allow clan mechs to drop against other clan mechs without something deeper to the concept then people still won't bother with IS stuff.

The context of battletech and mechwarrior will be increasingly lost and it will just be a gundam simulator.

[javathejat]

OP.

People like you are never pleased. You and your kind will always come with new stupid thinkings with no meaning.

Do you know how many people plays MWO and never entered once to the forums? I have 3 friends playing MWO, and Im glad they never did.

MWO is a great game. All of us should always remember its still on beta. Its the first beta I see TRUE hard working.

I believe in this game.

Sorry for my english, have fun

[KinLuu]

One mech/month is fine.
Delaying the clan invasion for two years is fine.
One map/2month is fine.

But a 4 month content drought would not be fine.

[Norris J Packard]

HC Harlequin, on 04 March 2013 - 04:19 AM, said:

I don't think clan mechs will change anything. Without context behind the lighter faster chassis, better weapons and smaller loadouts it won't mean anything.

If clan tech is integrated into the current system everyone will just grind out clan mechs and in a very short time all these mechs will be pointless.

If they only allow clan mechs to drop against other clan mechs without something deeper to the concept then people still won't bother with IS stuff.

The context of battletech and mechwarrior will be increasingly lost and it will just be a gundam simulator.

This has nothing to do with the mechanics of the Clan Mechs.

As I highlighted in the final paragraph, the inclusion of the Clan Mechs necessitates that PGI does not add any other Mechs for four months, thus creating a content drought.

[Jomacdo]

javathejat, on 04 March 2013 - 04:21 AM, said:

Sorry for my english, have fun

Not being able to write well is fine, not being able to read at all then writing anyway isn't.

[QuantumButler]

javathejat, on 04 March 2013 - 04:21 AM, said:

OP.

People like you are never pleased. You and your kind will always come with new stupid thinkings with no meaning.

Do you know how many people plays MWO and never entered once to the forums? I have 3 friends playing MWO, and Im glad they never did.

MWO is a great game. All of us should always remember its still on beta. Its the first beta I see TRUE hard working.

I believe in this game.

Sorry for my english, have fun

And people like you don't bother to read posts and/or are so completely delusional you make creationists look reasonable by comparison.

[Joseph Mallan]

*Yawn*
Dam. The world didn't end again!

[Onmyoudo]

While I retain judgement on whether the game is "dying" or not, there is a definite lack of content in the game currently, which nobody can argue. In addition to this, despite a brief upswing in communication quality and frequency at the beginning of the year, we now know basically nothing about what is ahead.

Reading from the publicised roadmaps (last updated on Jan 24th, over a month ago) there are 4 things we are waiting for:

1) Desert Map
2) Jaegermech
3) New User Flow 1.0 (slated for release mid February, including achievements)
4) Music

In addition we have had dev confirmation of another map following Desert and several more in production. We also know that there is another mech to be released in April, assumed to be the Highlander. Logical assumption based on current releases would indicate that the rest of the mech will follow on a monthly basis, but we have had no confirmation of this.

Given that the game as it stands is a shallow, if solid, base upon which to build, the community needs to be reassured that things are progressing behind the scenes. Pointless speculation is all well and good but we are in limbo, merely hoping for the game we're all waiting for and put money into to finally materialise. I think many have proved that they are willing to wait for this, but not without some sort of assurance that it is there to be waited for.

In response to a post some pages back; no, monthly small content updates are not enough right now. There needs to be something bigger, and although it doesn't need to be released next week we do need to be told about it as soon as possible to keep interest high.